Ballot-box game



BALLOT Box GAME Filed July 11, 1923 GA ,lLL m KY l I4 29 I3 EL FLA IDAHO IND KAN LA :5 6 4 l5 IO l0.

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Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BALLOT-BOX GAME.

Application filed July 11,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn HARRISON JoHNsoN, a subject of the King of England, residing at Tbttenville, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballot-Box Games, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to games and toys and more particularly to a novel and improved, instructive election game, based on the principle and theory of recording presidential electoral votes.

The object of my invention is to provide an instructive and interesting game wherein a duo-colored disc indicating a State and having a numeral thereon corresponding to the number of electoral votes to which it is credited, one side of the disc representing one of the two principal parties, either Republican or Democratic, and the opposite side of the disc an opposing party with the addition of the numerals or votes of one player which ma be compared with that of the opposite p ayer to indicate the winner of the game.

In order to more fully understand and appreciate my invention reference is had to the attached drawings, constituting a part of the specification and wherein;

Figure l is a view showing 48 discs preferably colored green to represent one party.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the reverse side of the discs and representing the opposite party, and preferably colored red.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the manner of playing the game.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 5 designates, what I term the ballot box which may be of any size and shape or, if so desired, may be a cup, glass or other receptacle into which the discs or squares may be slipped or tossed by a slipping disc 6, held in the hand. In the manner of playing the game, the 48 discs are shufiied in any desired manner and placed in an arbitrary way about the ballot box so that the green or Republican side, for instance, will be exosed by some of the discs and the red or emocratic side by other of the dies. It is understood, of course, that one of the discs may represent a State having a certain numeral thereon to designate the number of electoral votes and that on the opposite or 1923. Serial No. 650,962.

reverse side of the disc, a different State having a different electoral number will appear, so that the game is one purely of chance as to which side appears face up when flipped or thrown into the ballot box 5.

The players first choose the party which they will represent and alternately flip or cause the discs to jump from the table for instance, into the ballot box. After all of the discs have been caused to fall into the ballot box, the green discs, for instance, representing the Republican Party are separated from the red discs, representing the Democratic Party, and the numerals are recorded on a separate sheet of paper and added. The total number of votes recorded forone party as compared withthe total number of votes recorded for the opposite party indicates the winner of the game.

A game of this character is not only instructive but very interesting because it affords the players to concentrate on the numerals representing the various States so that in a very short time the players are familiar with the principle and theory of the Electoral College and the relative importance of the States in a presidential election. Incidentally, the players soon learn of the relative population of the different States since the number of electoral votes is proportionate to the population. For instance, the small State of Rhode Island credited with 5 electoral votes is greater than the large States of Montana, Arizona or /Vyoming. However, it must be understood that in flipping a disc, wherein a small numeral appears the reverse side of the disc may contain a large numeral and may be credited to the opponent.

While I have shown square discs on the drawings, it will be readily recognized that circular discs or any other shape of disc ,may be provided to play the game as desired. The discs may be constructed of celluloid or any hard substance having a flat surface and I do not wish to be unnecessarily limited or restricted to the particular material of construction or configuration of the discs.

Having shown and described my invention, what I now claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

1. A game consisting of a plurality of loose discs, each having but one State des ignated n each side thereof, a number the two principal parties.

thereon corresponding to the number of electoral votes of said State as east by its electors, the sides of said discs also representing 2. A game consisting of a plurality of loose discs, each disc having individual State designated on each side thereof and a nuof said designated States.

In-testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE HARRISON JOHNSON. [L.s.] 

